To conclude this project, I understand that there is still more data to evaluate. As I mentioned, the list of films I created is not exhaustive and I think that there should be more research to be made on how movies portray mental disorders. As for the data, I was able to collect, there are definite problems regarding the portrayal so far.
Hollywood and most of the entertainment industry is dominated by white men and under that hegemonic rule has excluded women as directors, writers, producers, and editors. That is shown through the saturation of male portrayals in the industry as health care officials. However, the opposite is true; women are more likely to be psychiatrists and therapists and that should be represented more often. There is a gender problem in filmmaking that must be addressed, and more inclusion should be the solution. Women should not be excluded from certain roles and should have more opportunities. The American Psychological Association shows that women don’t lack participation in these positions, yet lack representation in movies.
Another crucial component in looking at films is ethnicity. Ethnicity has always been a misconception in films and was used as perpetuating stereotypes in the early 1920’s to now ethnic individuals mostly being portrayed as slaves in historical fiction. Regarding the representation of mental disorders, there is very little inclusion, and this isn’t surprising. Women, black women especially, face even greater challenges when being represented in movies. The way movies represent mental disorders is not accurate to the statistics and even with the small percentage of people of color seeking help, films should not perpetuate that idea.
Also, I would like to include that this project is not just a simple project that’s supposed to show the representation of mental disorders in films. However, I want people to see this project as a fight against stigmatization. Growing up in certain communities, I can understand how difficult it is to express emotions and to come to terms with a mental disorder, especially because of the stigmatization and I hope this project can be helpful to individuals dealing with those stigmatized problems regardless of race, gender, sexuality, income level. Stigma isn’t completely gone in some communities yet because talking and asking for help is so minimal and I hope that this project continues, just for the sake of people being able to see the representation.
Overall, film representation has been significantly better than earlier depictions; however, there is still more that can be done regarding representation.
I encourage more films to be added to the list: